The Central Band of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
Colonel Higuti Takahiro, Head of the Band.
The Central Band of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) was founded in 1951 as the Band of the National Police Reserve, the predecessor of the JGSDF. It’s been over 65 years that the band has been representing Japan on the global arena.
The band has covered more than 1400 official events with participation of prominent political and public figures from more than a hundred countries. In 2015 the Japanese Prime Minister acknowledged the work done by the band awarding it a special letter of gratitude.
The Central Band took part in cultural events of the 1964 Olympics held in Japan, performed at the Twenty-first Century Music Festival and Japan Band Clinic master classes. It is a permanent participant of Japanese traditional wind bands festivals and concerts of the capital district. It takes part in various celebrations dedicated to the Japan Self-Defense Forces usually held in Nihon Budokai Sports Center as well as in joint concerts of the ground, navy and air branches of the JSDF. The band has two CDs recorded. At the same time, musicians of the band teach their younger colleagues from the Ground Self-Defense Force and since 2015 serve as music instructors to the Defense Forces of Papua New Guinea, contributing to the international music exchanges.
While actively touring around Japan, the Central Band of the JGSDF has successfully been representing their country abroad. It participated in various international festivals in Korea (2002, 2004, 2011), Finland (2014) and Great Britain (Edinburgh, 2017). It staged performances together with the bands of the US Army and Marines, with the Staff Band of the German Armed Forces, performed at the Midwest Band Clinic Conference.
The Central Band of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force is the prize-winner of various national and international competitions:
— Fifty-fifth Arts Festival of the Japanese Ministry of Culture (2000, The Kings Go Forth CD);
— Eighteenth Award of the Japanese Wind Music Academic Association (2008);
— Fiftieth and Fifty-fifth Award of the Japanese Recording Academy for the best wind music album (2012, 2017, Best of March 2&3 CD);
— Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo for the best performance (2017).
